Eye drop dispenser



Jan. 12, 1960 L. L. LERNER ETAL EYE DROP DISPENSER Filed July 51, 1958 United States Patent EYE DROP DISPENSER Louis L. Lerner and Albert Safianolf Chicago, 111., as-

signors to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application my 31, 1958, Serial No..752,229

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-233) combination with a frame for positioning the outlet and maintaining it in the desired spaced relation with respect to the eyeball, the outlet and frame being so arranged that drops are dispensed only when the spigot of the outlet is tilted away from center position, so that the drops do not fall directly on the cornea of the eye.

Another object is to provide an eye drop dispenser of the type described having a one-piece spigot of improved construction for dispensing the eye drop liquid at. the desired slow rate. Y Other and further objects will beapparent from the drawing and from the description which follows.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention mounted on a container;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section on an enlarged scale, partly broken away, showing the spigot in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 showing the spigot in open position;

Fig. 5 is a view in cross section on a greatly enlarged scale of a portion of the central bore of the spigot;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing still a third embodiment of the invention.

As appears from the drawing the device comprises a frame 10 made up of a pair of uprights 12, 12 rigidly supporting a curved oval-shaped marginal portion 14 which is shaped so as to adapt it to engage the flesh around the eyeball of the person using the device. Extending downwardly from the lower portion of frame 10 is a flange 16 adapted to be engaged within the mouth of a container 18 in a press fit and which serves to support frame 10 in the desired position on the container 18. Extending upwardly within the interior of frame 10 from the bottom portion thereof is a supporting member 20 having an outwardly and upwardly opening cavity provided with a spherically curved inner surface 22. A spigot 24 is provided with a central bore 26 and has adjacent its lower end a bearing 28 having a spherically curved outer surface which mates with the inner surface 22 of supporting member 20. The opening of the cavity within supporting member 20 is sufficiently large with respect to spigot 24 so that the latter may be tilted in any direction away from the centered position shown in Fig. 3 while bearing 28 still remains engaged within supporting member 20.

Supporting member 20 is provided with an annular aperture or channel 30 in its wall. A conduit 32 connects annular channel 30 with the interior of container 18 when the device ismounted in place on the container.

The central bore 26 of spigot 24 is made up of two coaxial passageways 34,; 36 extending inwardly from opposite ends of the spigot, each passageway-decreasing in diameter inwardly from its respective end. A cap or dam 38 is provided at the intersection of the two passageways, a plurality of radially facing ports 40, 40 providing the sole communication between the two passageways 34, 36.

When spigot 24 is in centered position, as shown in Fig. 3, the lower passageway 36 of central bore 26 is sealed against the spherical inner face 22 of the cavity of supporting member 20 within which the spigot is seated, so that none of the liquid within container 18 canflow through the spigot.

When spigot 24 is tilted in any direction away from its centered position, as shown in'Fig. 4, passageway 36 comes into registration with a portion of annular aperture 30, which in turn communicates through conduit 32 with the interior of container 18. The device accordinglyprovides in this position of the spigot a continuous passageway for the liquid contents of container 18 to flow outwardly through the central bore of spigot 24. The, very small ports 40, 40 prevent excessively rapid flow of the liquid 'within container 18 through spigot 24, permitting .the liquid to emerge only dropwise, not as a continuous stream. Inasmuch as the liquid is permitted to emerge only when spigot 24 is tilted away from centered position and since marginal portion 14 of the frame 10 locates the [spigot with respect to the eyeball, the drops can fall only on the marginal portion of the eyeball near the lids and not directlyupon the cornea. Container 18 may be either rigid or, if desired, of the flexible squeeze bottle type.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the shape of frame 10 has been varied by placing uprights 42, 42 at the narrow ends of the oval marginal portion 14, while in the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 the uprights 44, 44 have been reduced in width to form narrow posts.

The simple construction of the present invention facilitates manufacture of the device since it may readily be made of a plastic composition by a molding operation. The device may consist of only three parts: supporting member 20, frame 10 (integral with the downwardly extending flange 16), and spigot 24 (integral with bearing member 28).

Indeed, supporting member 20 and frame 10 may be molded as a single, integral construction provided a plastic composition having the desired rigidity for the frame and resiliency for the socket portion is employed. Molding of spigot 24 and control over the elfective cross-sectional area of the central bore is readily achieved during the molding operation since it is not necessary to employ delicate pins of very small diameter in the mold. Instead, the size of the radial ports 40, 40 may readily be controlled by means of short projecting portions on one of the relatively thick and strong pins of the mold which are used to form passageways 34, 36.

Any of the conventional plastic molding compositions having the desired combination of hardness and resiliency as well as the property of being inert to the liquid material being dispensed may be employed. Polyethylene, polystyrene and other similar materials have been found to be satisfactory. Preferably an elastic resilient plastic such as polyethylene is employed for at least the socket portion of the device to permit the spigot. to be readily assembled with it, while a relatively hard and rigid plastic such as polystyrene is employed for frame 10. It will be apparent that the exact configuration of frame 10 (as distinct from marginal portion 14) is not critical and that it may be continuous instead of reticulate.

- Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described hereinjif is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications Within the spirit and scope of t e ap e ded w la s-v What is claimed is:

l'fAn'ey'e drop dispenser comprising a ball-andsocket outlet which is closed against the passage of liquid when the spigot is in centered position and which is open to permit passage of liquid when the spigot is in tilted'position, and a frame extending outwardly around said outlet, said frame having'a curved margin adapted to engage the fiesh around the eyeball to maintain said outlet in the desired spaced relation to the eyeball.

2. An eye drop dispenser as defined in .claim 1 including'in addition means for mounting said dispenser up n a conta ne 3;. An. eye drop dispenser comprising a container for the liquid -to be dispensed and mounted upon the mouth of said container a' 'ball-and socke't outlet which is'closed against the passage of liquid when the spigot is in centered position and which is open to permit passage of liquid when the spigot is in tilted position, and a frame extending'outwardly around said outlet, said frame having a curved margin adapted to engage the flesh around the eyeball to maintain said outlet in the desired spaced relation to the eyeball.

' 4. An eye drop dispenser comprising a spigot for dispensing the .eye drops, said spigot having a central bore, a supporting member having. a -ball-and-socket connection with said spigotto permit tiltingmovement of said spigot away from centered position, and including means for supplying eye drops to, the central bore of said spigot only when the latter is in tilted position, and a frame extending outwardly around said spigot having a curved margin adapted to engage thefiesh around the eyeball to hold said spigot in the desiredspaced relation to the eye l 4 5. An eye drop dispenser comprising a spigot for dispensing the eye drops, said spigot comprising an elongated member having-a central bore and provided adjacent one end with a bearing having a spherically curved surface, a supporting member adapted to be mounted on the mouth of a container having an outwardly opening cavity provided with a spherically curved inner surface adapted to engage the surface of said bearing member to permit tilting movement of said spigot in all directions away from a centered position, an annular aperture in the wall of said cavity providing the sole communication between 'said cavity and the interior of said container, said channel being positioned to communicate with the central bore of said spigot only when the latter is tilted away from centered position, and a frame extending outwardly around said spigot having a curved margin adapted to engage the flesh around the eyeball to hold said spigot in the desired spaced relation to the eyeball.

6. In an eye drop dispenser, a dispensing spigot comprising an elongated member having a central bore, said bore' being'formed of a' firstpassagewayextending inwardly from one end of said spigot and a second passageway of substantially greater diameter than the first extending inwardly from the other end of said spigot coaxially with the first said passageway, said passageways each decreasing in diameter inwardly from said respective ends and communicating with each other through a plurality of radially facing ports;

References Cited in thefile ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,482,431 Okawa Sept. 20, 1949 2,516,818 West July 25, 1950 2,754,821 Burbig et al. July 17, 1956 2,826,194 Golden Mar. 11, 1958 2,828,895 n Apr. 1, 1958 

